Monoprinting with a Stencil

The current challenge at CAS Mix Up is monoprinting with a stencil. I was inspired by all the fabulous cards of the DT and by the videos they provided that I wanted to have a play. Looking through my stencils I came across this flower one from Plaid Folk Art which worked really well. I made three cards to use every scrap of the panel! (I thought I had plenty of time to enter them but then time ran away from me and now I am entering almost at the last minute...)

I recently ordered the German label sentiment set from Altenew! I send a lot of cards to my German relatives and friends and even though they all understand "Happy Birthday" I thought it would be nice to make some cards with German sentiments for them.

This German sentiment is a wood mounted stamp by an unknown company that a friend gave me. The flower is a punch. Not sure I have ever used it before...

On the first two cards I used the Avery Elle Rose Gold embossing powder. My blogging friend Greta was kind enough to send me some of her sequins that match the EP perfectly and I used some on the second card! Thanks again, Greta!

CAS Mix Up August Challenge "Stencil Monoprint"







AAA Cards Clean and Simple "Use a Stencil"

Be well and keep in touch!

Twofer Card Challenge #2

We were blown away by your enthusiastic response of the first Twofer Card Challenge and hope this month's prompt will inspire you even more! Here it is...

I tried to see if I could use the little stamps that come in stamp sets and are often neglected and make them the stars of my cards. I used the same size little heart in the Hero Arts "Prayers" set (see below) to make the four-leaf clovers on the first card and the background behind the letters on the second card.

Stamps: Hero Arts (hearts), Uniko (sentiment)

Dies: My Favorite Thing (mini scalloped rectangles)

Other: butterfly (punch), hand drawn (stems, ladybug, and grass)

The first card has a layered look and even uses some patterned paper.  I created a little scene featuring four-leaf clovers, a hand drawn ladybug (covered in glossy accent and a butterfly punched out from a scrap that was sprayed with shimmery blue. The panel is layered on a red panel and mounted with fun foam on a die cut layer of polka dotted paper. 

Stamps: Hero Arts (hearts and sentiment - from the prayer set)

Dies: Essentials by Ellen (hinged alphabet), Sweet 'n' Sassy (red heart), My Favorite Things (dotted chevron)

The second card is more CAS with lots of white space. I die cut the new-to-me hinged letters from Ellen Hutson (so, so cool) and the dotted chevron border, stamped the hearts in red and purple on the card underneath, and attached the panel to the card. Stamped the sentiment on a heart die cut from red card stock and sprinkled more hearts in three different sizes around it (the purple one above the big red heart is the same one I used to make the background behind the letters and the four-leaf clovers). I put Stickles on the little purple heart and Glossy Accents on the small red one to add a little interest.

I really hope that I have inspired you to play along this month and can't wait to see the different designs you create using a heart stamp or die! Remember to take one picture of both cards. And now hop over to the Twofer Card Challenge to see the spectacular designs that my team mates came up with!

I am going to enter my second card to the
STAMPloration February Challenge "Paint it Red"





and to the
AAA Cards #108 "All You Need Is Love"
(Isn't that frog the cutest ever?)





ETA: I was encouraged on Instagram to enter the second card at the
Calling All Sistahs #10
Happy to do that! A challenge with an important mission!

Be well and keep in touch!

Understated Rainbow

If you have been reading my blog for a while you probably know that I love rainbow colors (amongst lots of other things...). So naturally I wanted to play in the AAA Cards CAS game #95 "Rainbow"
But what I ended up making will certainly be the most understated rainbow in the gallery! In case you don't see it - the flowers are in rainbow colors. A strip of washi tape down one side and a very CAS card is done.

Stamps: Heidi Grace (window), sentiment unknown
Other: Faber Castell Polychromos pencils






I am sorry but the pictures from my home town that I promised you in my last post will have to wait for the next one as I am short on time today... So you'll just have to come back ;)

Be well,

Two Green Cards

I blame it on snowstorm Stella and the resulting 30 inches of white stuff outside that made me create with the color green in the last few days, hehe...

Stamps: Sentiment (Altenew)

Dies: Stitched Rectangle (SSS), Foliage (Memory Box)

Inks: Distress Inks, Delicata Gold, LuminArte Gold

I had lots of fun smooshing a darker panel (for the foliage) and a lighter panel (for the background) using different shades of Distress Inks.

Challenges (click on the links for more information and lots of inspiration from the DTs and the galleries) - graphics at the end:

CAS Mix Up March Challenge

They are celebrating already one year of fun - Happy Birthday!

My choices are die-cutting, stitching, vellum, gold splatters

This card won "Outstanding Design"!

CAS Watercolor March Challenge "Spring"

INKSPIRATIONAL #130 "Watercolor Smooshing"

This card was "Top Pick"!

CASOLOGY #240 "Foliage"

AAA Cards CAS Game #86 "Die Cuts"


Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Bit O' Green"


Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday "Green"
Can't make banner appear - sorry!

Stamps: Flower and Sentiment (Essentials by Ellen)
Other: Washi Tape (Stampin' Up)


I made this next card in my mind while driving to pick up my kids from school after I saw the gorgeous inspiration board of the current Pin-Sight challenge...

Essentials by Ellen March Pin-Sight Challenge

Be well,

Very CAS Bird Card

Wanted to play in the June Mix It Up Challenge where we are to combine Essentials by Ellen with Technique Tuesday products. So I dug out those fun chickadees and made this very CAS card. It took me, of course, much longer to make than it looks like... Did some paper piecing, watercoloring the shadow, added some washi tape, and die cute a speech bubble for the sentiment (which is from the Mondo Magnolia set).

Stamps: Technique Tuesdays (bird), Essentials by Ellen (sentiment)
Die: Lawn Fawn (speech bubble)


Challenges:

Essentials by Ellen June Mix Up Challenge (with Technique Tuesdays)








CAS Mix Up June Challenge
My third choice is either fussy cutting (the bird body), paper piecing, and/or washi tape (the last two are not on the list...)






Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge "Father's Day/For a Guy"






AAA Cards #66 "Watercolors"
I did watercolor the shadow!






Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope your week will be spectacular!

Be well,

Two beachy cards

(This is my second post today)

I love tropical beaches (haven't been to one in too long) and so I just had to make something for all the challenges which a beach theme! Look at the gorgeous inspiration pictures further down - don't they make you dream?

I wanted to use that framed beach scene from Stampendous. I stamped it in black and then embossed it in white to see which one I would like better. Then I watercolored both. They look very different but I like them both.

Stamps: Stampendous (beach frame), Hero Arts (sentiment)
Other: stencil (Memory Box), Sizzix (embossing folder), Recollections (paper)


Challenges:

Inkspirational #88 "Photo Inspiration"







The Male Room #16 "Vacation/On the Beach"

AAA Cards "It's so Hot"

Now, if you'll excuse me, I will close my eyes and dream about being on one of those beaches...

Hugs,
Susanne

AAA Cards - Game 33 / SSS Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"

As someone who loves the color orange (it's so sunny, warm, and joyful) I just had to make a card for Game 33 at AAA Cards. Look at this picture - doesn't it make you smile?

Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: Technique Tuesday (birds, sentiment), D.O.T.S. (grass)

Paper: Studio G

Aren't those birds fun? After seeing them repeatedly in blogland I just had to have them! You know how that goes... I can't resist things (or people) who make me smile and laugh! The paper is a 6x6 pad I recently found at A.C.Moore. It has these two patterns in all the rainbow colors. Couldn't resist those either. Was a bit disappointed though when I opened it and found that the colors were a little duller then on the cover sheet and the dots are not pure white but more of an off-white. That's why I had to use an off-white card base. 

Challenges:

AAA Cards - Game 33

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes"

Thank you for visiting and making my day by leaving your encouraging comments! 

Hugs,

Susanne

Muse Challenge #82 / AAA Cards #18 / SSS Wednesday Challenge

Just a quick post to show you the card I made for the Muse Challenge #82 which closes soon. The dotted swirls and colors on Bobby's gorgeous card really spoke to me. Look at it

Mine didn't quite come out as I envisioned it...

Stamps: Inkadinkado (Swirls), Stampin' Up (flower circle), Lockhart Stamp Co. (dotted dream)


I made a watercolor background with my watercolor pencils (IRL it doesn't look as streaky but more like a watercolor wash - don't know why my camera has changed it like that) and will therefore also send it to AAA Cards, a new challenge for me. I added some splatters and a yellow gem in the flower center.

Also entering the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes".

I am very happy to welcome a new follower. Her name is Maarit and her blog name is "Violets Corner". She has been blogging for a long time so if you need some inspiration hop on over and check out her wonderful creations!
My welcome quote for you is especially fitting for us crafters with so many new products coming out all the time. At least I should repeat it to myself every day because my wish list gets longer and longer...

Never let the things you want
make you forget the things you have!

Hope you all have a good week! Thank you for your visit and if you feel like leaving a comment you would make me very happy!

Hugs,
Susanne